You Can’t Trick the Moon

You Can’t Trick the Moon

You've wanted to enumerate

every particle of dust, every layer

of sadness, number every blow delivered

by frustration, every trick to fool the noon

that cut your figure in half in its shadow.

But you can't, so you bring your hand

to your head, discover that in that survey

there's an image of yourself. It surprises you

that in its contours & distance ―barely

in its shadow― you still recognize yourself.

Something stops you now. You said too much

& it got you into trouble. The shadow & old pain

that kept you awake shelter your feelings

of revenge. You can't go forward like you want.

The desert you presume to remember is extensive.